


Sleepy time when I lie

by Lumeha



Series: Ironstrange Bingo 2019 [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (Comics)
Genre: And discussions of meeting your younger self, Domestic Fluff, I have been thinking about this since I read this mini serie o k a y, M/M, inspired by Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supremes, retired heroes, w/ mention of Billy Kaplan Sorcerer Supreme ;D
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 02:04:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18489043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeha/pseuds/Lumeha
Summary: - Guess who I saw today.- For someone retired, you are still active. Come here, wizard.- Pot, kettle, Tony, he answered with a laugh. And it was against my will, I want to add.(Stephen came back home to his husband, amused at having told himself "can't tell you, spoilers")





	Sleepy time when I lie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amethyst288](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethyst288/gifts).



> **Ironstrange bingo prompt** : Fluff  
>  **Giftee prompt** : retirement
> 
> A gift for Amethyst288 / hotmessmuffin (on tumblr) ! I was your pinch hitter for the Ironstrange Exchange :D  
> This was inspired by Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supremes and Stephen's questions about who he is married to when talking to Billy and to his older self.
> 
> Title from _A Pillow of Winds_ by Pink Floud

\- Guess who I saw today.  
\- For someone retired, you are still active. Come here, wizard.  
\- Pot, kettle, Tony, he answered with a laugh. And it was against my will, I want to add.

Tony huffed before raising his hand, aware of the tiredness weighting on Stephen. With a smile, the former Sorcerer Supreme took it and sat on the couch next to his husband, carding his other hand in his silver hair. They never thought they would be able to retire. Never thought it was for them ; they died and flirted with death so many times, they just expected to end their lives in some dark corner or a blaze of glory, older than they were supposed to be but far from retiring. That didn’t stop them from playing mentors and ending up in situations they probably should not be in at their age and their retirement, their experience and sharp minds there to support the younger heroes.

\- So ? Who did you see ?  
\- Myself.  
\- Mirrors, those mysterious artefacts, said Stark with a bright smile, curling himself up more against his husband.  
\- My younger self, Anthony, don’t snark at me like that, Stephen said with a smile.

Tony mumbled something that sounded (un)surprisingly like “weird wizards and weird weird wizard adventures”. He closed his eyes with a little sigh of contentment when Stephen started playing with the hair at the back of his neck, his trembling fingers gentle against the skin. If he had been a cat, he would have been purring under the gentle touch.

He felt himself relax in the couch, glad to finally be done with the awful mess that happened. The pain was creeping in his bones, magic repaying him for its use, and he should get up and get himself comfortable in their bed, warm up his old limbs. Tony opened his eyes and looked at him, gaze soft and warm.

\- Let’s get you all bundled up and rested and then you will tell me. Have you eaten anything ?  
\- Not really in the mood for the whole… entrails and all. And better not wake Wong. Or the fridge for that matter

The engineer extracted himself from the couch with an exaggerated sigh at the mention of said (terrifying) fridge, before taking his husband in his arms. Despite the faint protests of the sorcerer, he let himself fold around Tony’s body, aware of being a bit too thin, a bit too brittle in his older age. That only made Tony smile softly, kissing the side of his head, his hands curled around his body in support.

\- Well, _I_ didn’t have to save the world today despite my retirement, so I can take the time to spoil you.  
\- Spent the day with the kids ?  
\- Workshop day with the kids, yep !

It didn’t take long to bring Stephen to their bed and help the sorcerer out of his robes. Tony sat next to him and held his hands open, waiting for one of the scarred and trembling ones to be put between his, so he could start massaging them. Magic asked for sacrifices and pain, and he was always there to help through it, intimately aware of what it was to live with those chronic pains. Stephen once admitted, in the past, that he had rarely opened about his pains, except to Wong, who knew what the Sorcerer Supreme had to carry on his shoulders. Dark humor about ulcers and pain was not the same as admitting that he was carrying his pain all the time.

(Wong had said, the day of their wedding, that he was both glad to have someone that would help with the mess that was his friend Stephen Strange, and afraid that he just added the mess Tony Stark to his life - and how right was he)

\- So, tell me, what happened with yourself ?  
\- Not much. Saving the world, making sure reality stays on tracks, telling myself “spoilers” so I wouldn’t have knowledge of the future. Billy also had fun with it. I remember it being so frustrating.  
\- I can imagine that easily. And what was the spoiler you were so concerned about when you were younger ?  
\- Us.

Stephen let out a small laugh, remembering his own (younger) face when he told himself that he could not tell him who he married. Both perfectly aware he would get nothing from his older self (or from Billy) and perfectly annoyed at not knowing what the future held for his heart.

The mattress shifted under Tony’s weight, the man now focused on massaging his calves, knowing he tended to cramp there after a harsh day. A contented sigh escaped him and Tony raised his eyes to look at him, callous fingers working on flesh they knew by heart.

\- I would have never imagined this, Stephen added, showing the both of them with his hand. I was in a pretty bad place at that time.    
\- Really ?  
\- Well, remember when I went to find you so you could help me kickstart again Earth’s magic ?

It had been a rough time for the Sorcerer Supreme. More than rough. The moment he met with Tony Stark and the man agreed to help had been one of those little signs that things were going the right way, after much wrong turns and lessons he had a hard time learning.

\- As if I could forget that. You asked me to take you to the stars, how could I forget that ?  
\- It was a me from before that time.

A mischievous smirk danced on Tony's lips.

\- Never thought you could get a prize like me ?  
\- Do you really need me to answer that ?  
\- Well, _I_ never thought I could get a prize like you. Nor retirement. And here I am, retired from business and avenging, and married to a wizard !

He took one of Stephen’s hand and kissed the back of it, the corner of his eyes softening with his smile.

\- I am definitely letting Billy take care of any and all magic emergency that happens during the coming week.  
\- Great, because I have to spoil and be spoiled, my husband.


End file.
